The Derma Co Snail Peptide 96 Advanced Moisturizing Cream Versus The Derma Co 5% Cica-Glow Daily Face Moisturizer with Alpha Arbutin & Tranexamic Acid

The Derma Co Snail Peptide 96 Advanced Moisturizing Cream Versus The Derma Co 5% Cica-Glow Daily Face Moisturizer with Alpha Arbutin & Tranexamic Acid

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Snail Secretion Filtrate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and Arbutin to fade the look of dark spots and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Betaine

Glycerin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Niacinamide

Saccharide Isomerate

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Panthenol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Allantoin

Triethanolamine

Disodium EDTA

Water, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Betaine, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Saccharide Isomerate, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cyclopentasiloxane

Arbutin

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Tranexamic Acid

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Dicetyl Phosphate

Ceteth-10 Phosphate

Dimethicone Crosspolymer

PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone

Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower

Xylitylglucoside

Anhydroxylitol

Xylitol

Carbomer

Beta Vulgaris Root Extract

Tocopheryl Acetate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Hydroxide

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Water, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Arbutin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tranexamic Acid, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicetyl Phosphate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Carbomer, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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